Yerevan

Yerevan, Armenia's capital is one of the oldest cities in the world. The Urartian King, Argishti I, established it in 782 BC.

Today, it is a thriving city, with the excitement, hustle and bustle of a modern capital.

Yerevan is truly a fascinating place, with a fine balance of a fast-paced urban lifestyle, yet a keen sense of its history and ancient roots.

The city is currently undergoing a major construction boom along with a cultural rejuvenation, with a vast array of plays, operas, concerts and cultural events year round.

Yerevan is more than a capital. It is the central point of a Diaspora people, a magnet for the eight million Armenians living outside the country.

The city streets are lined with tiny boutiques selling the latest fashions, colorful street markets, and fine restaurants offering an assortment of traditional an international cuisine.

While the city is always bustling with activity, one of its charms is that you can still sit for hours at a café, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the world go by:

• Armenia has a variety of festivals that take place in Yerevan and often in other cities and regions.
• The Golden Apricot, Yerevan's International Film Festival, is held every summer. The festival displays both mainstream and independent films from around the world, and is attended by many of the most extraordinary talents working in cinema today.
• Though Yerevan is the headquarters of this festival, films are also shown in major city centers throughout Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
• The Erebuni - Yerevan festival is an annual celebration of Yerevan's ancient history.
• The central square comes to life with concerts and festivities. High Fest International Performing Arts Festival takes place in October.
• This festival highlights all genres of performing arts including theater, dance and music performance.
• Armenian's capital has over 40 museums and galleries celebrating a fascinating history and rich artistic heritage.
• The city has a thriving nightlife, a lively contemporary art scene, and a youth culture of its own.
• Yerevan is ever growing, ever changing, ever- evolving. Nevertheless, despite its almost constant state of transformation, the city's soul remains the same.